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redthistle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an amazing and unique book unlike any I have read before.
The book is split up into different povs, two of which are told through third person narrative and one which is told through second person narrative. I'd never read a book before that used second person and it was really cool. At first it felt strange, but it didn't take long for the second person chapters to feel very natural and for me to stop noticing that it even was. NK Jemisin is an amazing and talented writer and in this book weaves an interesting, complex, and captivating world together with rich characters.
One thing I will mention is that I felt that this book was rather heavy. Throughout reading and after I finished I felt very contemplative and at times sad or disturbed by events which occurred and ways in which the society functioned. This was intentional as the book it set in an apocalyptic world.
The book is split up into different povs, two of which are told through third person narrative and one which is told through second person narrative. I'd never read a book before that used second person and it was really cool. At first it felt strange, but it didn't take long for the second person chapters to feel very natural and for me to stop noticing that it even was. NK Jemisin is an amazing and talented writer and in this book weaves an interesting, complex, and captivating world together with rich characters.
One thing I will mention is that I felt that this book was rather heavy. Throughout reading and after I finished I felt very contemplative and at times sad or disturbed by events which occurred and ways in which the society functioned. This was intentional as the book it set in an apocalyptic world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and Vomit
hanarama's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Good:
- Slow, organic world building
- Thorough character examinations
- Surprising reveals
The Bad:
- Sad, at times the story feels very hopeless.
You Might Like this if You Like:
- Creative fantasy worlds and magic systems
- Character-driven narratives
- Slowly revealed twists/mysteries
The Broken Earth Trilogy has been on my tbr for a long time, and now I'm kicking myself for not getting to it sooner. N. K. Jemisin is a master in storytelling and world building.
In a world that has ended more times than can be remembered, human society has become adept at picking up the pieces. The Fifth Season explores the lives of three orogens, people with the ability to manipulate kinetic energy and influence the tectonic activity of the earth. They are also widely regarded as dangerous and volatile, able to bring about the end of the world with a shrug.
Damaya is a young girl, a newly discovered orogen. She works to survive her training and to prove herself as smart and talented.
Syenite, is a skilled orogen, paired with a new mentor. She chaffs against the establishment and her off-putting new teacher.
And Essun, a grieving mother searching for her daughter and the man that killed her son.
Through them, Jemisin introduces us to a tumultuous world that threatens to break people down at every turn. It's hostile, but magical and breathtaking. And the stories of the main characters reveal how drive, love, and personal strength can alter the laws of nature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Slavery
lauconn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Cannibalism, Torture, Vomit, and Pregnancy
cerilouisereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Vomit
alylentz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Read for a grad school class; not generally my kind of thing but a really interesting concept that's impressively told. I was completely immersed by the end and felt totally invested in the characters' stories. I can definitely see why Jemisin is an exciting writer for the fantasy genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Racism, Slavery, Sexual content, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Cannibalism
winx15's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Transphobia
blakethebookeater's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is a literary masterpiece and a perfect example of sci-fi/fantasy storytelling at its finest. N. K. Jemisin’s prose is captivating and I could not put this book down.
We follow Essun, Damaya, and Syenite as they navigate being orogenes in a world that hates them. Orogenes are people who can control and manipulate the energy of the Earth (think an earth bender but WAY more versatile and way more dangerous). The people of the Stillness are terrified of them and straight up murder them most of the time. Some, like Damaya and Synenite are sent to the Fulcrum to study their powers.
Essun’s story is the crux of this book though, as she comes home to find her son murdered and her daughter taken by her husband. She tried to teach her children to hide their orogeny, but children can’t always control their abilities. So she sets off to find her daughter and the man responsible for taking away what she loved most.
All three POV characters are interesting and compelling in their own right (Synenite’s was my personal favorite) and the way they thematically build upon one another is astonishing.
As for prose, Essun’s POVs are narrated in 2nd person, which can feel strange but I thought it added a unique perspective to the narrative because it is so intentional and I have to believe Jemisin will have a payoff for it later down the line.
I have to say that it might be confusing for reader who haven’t read a lot of hard sci-fi/fantasy before and it took me about 100 pages before everything clicked into place for me. Jemisin doesn’t exposit about her world, just throws you in and you start to pick up clues from context, and although that may be off-putting for some people, give it some time and you’ll fall in love with the story.
This is a propulsive, character-driven novel that deserved every single award it won. I cannot wait to continue my adventures into the Stillness and more of what N. K. Jemisin has to offer because she is a one-of-a-kind writer.
We follow Essun, Damaya, and Syenite as they navigate being orogenes in a world that hates them. Orogenes are people who can control and manipulate the energy of the Earth (think an earth bender but WAY more versatile and way more dangerous). The people of the Stillness are terrified of them and straight up murder them most of the time. Some, like Damaya and Synenite are sent to the Fulcrum to study their powers.
Essun’s story is the crux of this book though, as she comes home to find her son murdered and her daughter taken by her husband. She tried to teach her children to hide their orogeny, but children can’t always control their abilities. So she sets off to find her daughter and the man responsible for taking away what she loved most.
All three POV characters are interesting and compelling in their own right (Synenite’s was my personal favorite) and the way they thematically build upon one another is astonishing.
As for prose, Essun’s POVs are narrated in 2nd person, which can feel strange but I thought it added a unique perspective to the narrative because it is so intentional and I have to believe Jemisin will have a payoff for it later down the line.
I have to say that it might be confusing for reader who haven’t read a lot of hard sci-fi/fantasy before and it took me about 100 pages before everything clicked into place for me. Jemisin doesn’t exposit about her world, just throws you in and you start to pick up clues from context, and although that may be off-putting for some people, give it some time and you’ll fall in love with the story.
This is a propulsive, character-driven novel that deserved every single award it won. I cannot wait to continue my adventures into the Stillness and more of what N. K. Jemisin has to offer because she is a one-of-a-kind writer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Misogyny, Rape, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cannibalism and Suicide attempt
francestea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I love the format of this book, the three alternating perspectives kept the plot moving and kept me guessing at how it would all fit together. The magic system is interesting, I’m mostly intrigued to learn more about the stone eaters in the next books. The cast (mostly female) has great representation which is embarrassingly refreshing for the genre. I’ll definitely continue with the series and look forward to reading more by Jemisin.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Minor: Pedophilia, Cannibalism, and Trafficking
s_hollandstone's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality
jbellomy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While epic fantasy continues to not be my genre, even I can't deny that this shit is good. Jemisin creates a completely convincing world and populates it with lived-in characters. It's also well plotted, and horrifying/infuriating/straight up sad at exactly the right moments. I'm not the hugest fan of her prose style – the balance between formal and informal mode is difficult to pull off in epic fantasy, and I think that's where this book struggles most. Also, this conversation happened approximately five times:
Character 1 (usually Alabaster): *makes grim, vague allusion to terrible thing going down behind the scenes*
Character 2 (usually Syenite): "What?"
Character 2's inner monologue: Oh. Oh. {Please note here that Jemisin is infatuated with Oh, and relies on doubling said Oh to imbue dread in the reader.}
Character 1: *Fully explains terrible thing going down, rendering the previous allusion useless, since apparently he could've just been clear in the first place.*
So that bothered me. But usually the prose is more than serviceable, and I'm being nitpicky because this is just a really impressive feat and I feel bad that I didn't enjoy myself more? I need to accept that this is not my genre. But not before I read this whole series so I can get the parallel satisfactions of being in on the zeitgeist and nitpicking an incredible writer's work.
Character 1 (usually Alabaster): *makes grim, vague allusion to terrible thing going down behind the scenes*
Character 2 (usually Syenite): "What?"
Character 2's inner monologue: Oh. Oh. {Please note here that Jemisin is infatuated with Oh, and relies on doubling said Oh to imbue dread in the reader.}
Character 1: *Fully explains terrible thing going down, rendering the previous allusion useless, since apparently he could've just been clear in the first place.*
So that bothered me. But usually the prose is more than serviceable, and I'm being nitpicky because this is just a really impressive feat and I feel bad that I didn't enjoy myself more? I need to accept that this is not my genre. But not before I read this whole series so I can get the parallel satisfactions of being in on the zeitgeist and nitpicking an incredible writer's work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Death, and Child death